Stunning Korea

Abstract

The film footage of the 1974 assassination attempt on South Korean President Park Chung-hee is the most dramatic I recall having seen. President Park is addressing a ceremony in Seoul to mark the liberation of the country from the Japanese. He stands at the lectern, stern and deep-voiced. Suddenly, as he makes a point, shots ring out, in mid-sentence. The gunman is in the audience, handgun aloft and aimed at Park. The bullets miss. But a scream comes from behind. It is Park’s wife. She had been seated on the stage with other dignitaries. She has been shot. Pandemonium breaks out. Men overpower the gunman, wrestle him to the ground and drag him outside. On stage, Park’s wife is picked up and rushed out for treatment. But her injuries are serious. Later, she dies. Meanwhile Park remains on stage. He looks around, his eyes now acutely alert, his face more fierce. He can see that the assailant has been overwhelmed and the fracas behind him has quietened down. He returns to the microphone, straightens up and glares into the audience. ‘I shall now resume my speech’, he announces. And with that he does.